Scale pan for card feeders



March 31. 1925. 1,531,945

J. B. HOWE- SCALE PAN FOR CARD FEEDERS Filed May 15 1923 y 4 6/ l l I v4-5 44 J5 I l'fzver cor a; F a as? his.

Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

Ul llTED STATE withh ld JOSEPH B. HOWE, 0F WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS,ASSIGNOR TO G'EQRG'E S HAP WOOD 85 SON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTfi, AGUPARTNEBSHII? CQNSISTING OLE SYDNEY HARWOOD AND JOHN I'I'ARWOOD.

SCALE PAN FOR- CARD FEEDERS.

Application filed." May 15',

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Josnrn B. Hows, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of lyorcester, in the county of V orcester andState of lilassachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements inScale Pans for Card Feeders, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to card feedingmachines of the kind which embodyautomatic weighing mechanism, and concerns more particularly"a dumpingscale pan for use in such weighing mechanism.

Principal objects of the invention are to provide a scale pan of strongand rigid construction and of a cross sectional'contour providing forlarge capacity to provide a dumping pan whose contents; may bedischarged substantially instantaneously without setting up appreciableoscillations in the pan or scale beam; and in to provide latch mechanismfor determining the retention or discharge of the contents of the pan,such latch mechanism being of simple and dependable construction andreleasable with slight effort.

A preferred embodiment of the invention, is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of a dumping scale panembodyingthe present invention showingthe same in position to receive aload:

Fig. 2 is an end elevation partly broken away, showing; the pan innormal load receiving position;

Fig. 3- 1s a fragmentary horlzontal cross section to larger scale on theline 33 of Fig. 2-;

Fig. 4 is a detail view illustratingthe latch mechanism and associatedparts in the position which they assume immediatelyafter the release ofthelatch; and

Fig. 5 is a detached view showing the latch leverin side elevation.

In accordance with the. present invention the; pan, which is ofgenerally rectangular contour incross section, is provided with a pair;of rigid end frames of like construction. Each of these frames compr sesthe substantialyparallel spaced side bars 1, 2 un t d, pr e bly n grlly, at th r. uppe nds by ross bar B e memb rs 5 t nd obliquely. upwarcand in ard tra 'with inwardly directed flanges 22,

1523. Serial No. 639,104.

the lower extremities of the bars 1, 2 r spectively and these bracemembers merge at their upper ends into the enlargement or head 6. Theupper portion of this head is preferably united integrally with the topmember 3 of the frame as indicated at 7.

This head is furnished with an opening 8 whose upper edge provides thebearing corners respectively of each end frame, and

these bosses are furnished with openings for the reception of the endsof connecting rods 13, 14 which extend from one end frame to the other,and which are secured in the respective bosses by means of set screws15, 1b. The end frames are thus held rigidly in proper spaced relation.Bosses 17, 18

are provided at the lower corners respectively of each end frame andthese bosses are furnished with journal openings for the reception ofthe ends of rotatable sl'iafts 19, 20, which extend from one end frameto the other.

The side bars 1, 2 of the em furnished with inwardly directez iianges21' lying in substantially the same while the brace members l, 5 arefurnished The plane de ned by the latter flanges is spaced slightly fromthat defined by the flanges 21, 21 to permit the insertion of a piece ofsheetmaterial 2% between the sets of flanges. This sheet material,preferably metal, forms the end wall of the scale pan. This member maybe slipped upwardly between the sets of flanges and is secured inposition by screws 25. Side wall members 26, 27 are secured by rneans ofscrews 28, 29 respectively to the side bars 1, 2, of the end frames.These side secured to the shafts, 19, 20, the brackets of each pairbeing,- located adjacent to the ends of their respective shaftto theshafts by set scr .i. s able bottom wall members cured to the respectivepair These bottom wall members, tively constitute the closure an thebottom of the pan, are preferably formed of sheet material and are bentor rolled at their outer edges to enclose the repective slmi'ts asindicated at The meeting edges or the respective bottom wall members arepreferably rolled or folded to provide streugtin ening beads 36. isshown in Fig. 2 the bottom wall members normally extend downwardly andinwardly from the axes of their respective supporting shafts and meet ina plane below the plane of such shafts. The end all members 24.- are soshaped as to extend downwardly so as to form complete closures for theends of the pan.

A lever 37 is secured to the end of the shaft 19 by means of a set screw33. A second lever is secured to the end of the shaft. 20 by means of aset screw These levers, in the normal the full lines in Fig. 2, extendinwardly and upwardly; crossing and overlapping at a point adjacent:their free extremities. A pin 40 is secured to the end portion of thelever 39. This pin is preferably adjustable longitudinally of the lever,although such adjustment is not essential.

The pin iO projects through an elongate slot ll formed in the freeextremity of the lever 37. The latter lever is provided with a boss 42having a threaded opening for the reception of a pivot bolt 43 uponwhich a latch lever ll is pivotally mounted.

The tail of this latch lever is provided with a counterweight 41-5 whileits opposite end is furnished with a lug 46 having an abutment surface47. This surface is of arcuate curvature, described about the pivotalaxis of the lever as a center. and preterably terminates in a shoulderThe le position indicated in 370. ver projects beyond the shoulder 43 toform an extension 49 for engagement with an actuating device as willhereinafter be described. The lower part of the end frame of the pan isfurnished with a bracket 50 from which a lug 51 extends into the planeof movement of the counterweight 45 of the latch lever.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows. it beingassumed that the pan and its several associated parts nor mally occupythe position shown in Fig. 2 while the pan is receiving its load.

In this position the pin 40 is located at the upper end of the slot. lland is held in such position by the latch lever whose surface l7 liesimmediately behind the pin. The counterweight 4.5 normally retains thelatch in this position. When the pin 40 is locked in the upper part ofthe slot, relativemovement of the levers 37, 39 is prevented, and whenso positioned it the bottom wall members 33, 34 of the pan are closedwith their edges 36 substantially in engagement.

When the pan is to be dumped an actuator, indicated at 52, and which maybe of the type disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 639,103,filed May 15, 192], or which may be of any other desired con struction,is caused to engage the extension 49 of the latch lever and to swing thelatter about its pivot. Such swinging of the latch is readilyaccomplished by reason of the shape of the abutment surface .7. As soonas the latch has been swung out of engagementwith the pin it), as shownfor example in Fig. 4:, the weight of the levers 37, 3S) and associatedparts assisted by the weight of the contents of the pan, immediatelycauses the levers to swing downwardly until they occupy the positionindicated in dot and dash lines in Fig. 2. in the latter position of thelevers the movable bottom members 33, 34 of the scale pan standsubstantially vertical as shown in dot and dash lines in said figure.When in such position, the bottom walls oiier no obstruction whatsoeverto the delivery of the load from the pan so that the load is dumpedfreely and without any substantial lateral reaction upon the pan such asmight set up undesirable oscillations therein.

In moving to the dot and dash position of Fig. 2 the levers 37. 39 swingthrough the horizontal plane of their axes and during such movement thepin 4:0 first travels to the left as viewed in Fig. 2, and then as thelevers pass the horizontal position the pin moves backwardly until it isrestored to the same end of the slot. from which it started. asindicated at 40, Fig. 2. As the counterweight t5 of the latch constantlytends to restore the latch to operative position. it would at this time.unless prevented, swing up across the slot 4.1 and prevent restorationof the levers 37, 39 to normal position. To prevent this action, the lug51 is provided with which the counterweight 45 engages as the leversdrop to their lowermost position. This prevents upward movement of thelug 46 of the latch so that when the restoring device, indicated at 53and which may if desired be of the type in my aforementionedapplication, is raised into engagement with the pin 40, the latter isfree to move along the slot 41 as the levers 37, 39 are moved back tonormal position. When they reach the latter position, the lug 4-6 of thelatch lever immediately snaps beneath the pin 40 thus again locking theparts in the position shown in Fig. 2.

One desirable feature of the pan as above described arises from itscross sectional shape which provides a maximum capacity as respects itsoutside dimensions without til) lee

lit]

bers of sheet material fixedly secured to the respective end flflli'lQSand extending from one to the other, a bottom wall comprising memberspivotally mounted to swing about axes adjacent to the lower edges of therespective side wall members, and an end wall member secured to each ofthe respective trames.

2. A dumping scale pan comprising a rigid end frame having substantiallyparallel side members, a top member integrally secured to the sidemembers, and a pair of brace members extending diagonally up from thelower ends of the side members and uniting with the top member near its1 middle point.

6. A dumping scale pan comprising a. rigid end frame havingsubstantially parallel side bars and a, top bar united; therewith, and apair of brace members extending diagonally upward from the lower ends ofthe side bars and united adjacent to the upper bar to form a head memberhaving an opening therein. for thereception of the pan fulcrum.

a. A dumping scale pan comprising a rigid end frame having membersdefining two parallel spaced planes, and a piece of sheet materialpositioned between said members and constituting an end wall for thepan.

A (lumping scale pan comprising an. end frame having substantiallyparallel side members and diagonally extending brace members, the sidemembers and brace mem bers having flanges respectively which lie inspaced parallel planes, and a sheet metal plate interposed between saidsets of spaced flanges.

6. A d'm'nping scale pan comprising a pair of end frames ofsubstantially rectangular contour having openings at each of thecorners, a pair 0t fixed bars secured in the openings at the uppercorners of the respective frames and holding the latter in spacedrelation, and pair of shafts journalled at opposite ends in the openingsat the lower corners of the respective frames.

7. A dumping scale pan comprising a fixed side wall, a shaft journalledadjacent to the lower edge of said wall, a bracket secured to. the shaftadjacent to each of its ends, anda sheet metal, bottonn member securedto the brackets, one edge of, the bottom member being bent to enelosetheshaft and its opposite edge being rolled. topro vide a strengtheningbead.

8. A dumping scale pan comprising a pair of bottom members. hinged toswing about substantially, parallel axes, an arm secured to each of saidmembers, said arms normally overlapping, an abutment carried by] onearm, and a latch mounted upon the other arm and engageable with theabutment normally to hold the botton' members in closed position.

9. A scale pan having a movable closure, and means normally preventingmovement of said closure comprising anabutment member, a latch normallyengaging said abutment member to prevent movement thereof, said latchbeing movable to release said abutment, and means operative to preventreengagement of the latch with. the abutment prior to the restorationof, thelatter-to initial position.

10. A dumping scale pan comprising a pair of hinged bottom members,oppositely directed arms secured to the respective members, one of saidarms'having an elongate slot and the other having a pin projecting intosaid slot, and latch means normally operative to prevent movement of thepin longitudinally of the slot.

11. A scale pan. having a movable bottom member and means normallyholding said bottom member in closed position comprising arelativelymovable member, a. pin pro.- jecting from one member into. an elongateslot in, the other, a latch device normally positioned to hold the pinatone end of said slot, said latch, being movable to release the pin andallow it to move along the slot, and means to prevent reengagement otthe latch with the pin before the parts are restored substantially toinitial position.

12. A, dumping scale pan comprising a pair of hinged bottom members, anarm fixedly secured to eachv of said members to swing therewith, saidarms extending diagonally toward each other and overlapping at theirfree extremities, a pin projecting from one of said arms through anelongate slot inthe other, and a latch carried by the slotted arm andnormally preventing movement of the pin longitudinally of the slot.

13. A dumping scale pan comprising a pair of relatively fixed sidewalls, a bottom member hinged to the lower edge of each side wall, anarm secured to each bottom member to turn therewith, said arm normallyextending inwardly and upwardly and overlapping at their extremities, a.pin

projecting from one arm through an elongate slot in the other, and alatch lever pivot-ally supported upon the latter arm.

said latch lever having an element normally engaging the pin to preventmovement thereof along the slot.

14. A scale pan having a movable bottom member and means normallyholding said member in closed position comprising a pair of leversnormally extending diagonally upwardly toward each other from theirpivotal axes, a. pin projecting from one into an elongate slot in theother, a latch normally holding said pin in the upper end of the slot,said latch being releasable to permit the pin to move in the slotthereby allowing the levers to turn until the pin passes the plane ofthe levers and returns to the same end of the slot, and means to preventengagement of the latch with the pin while the parts occupy the lastnamed position.

15. A dumping scale pan comprising a movable closure and a pair ofswinging lever arms for controlling the movement of said closure, saidarms normally intersecting at an angle to each other, a pin projectingfrom one of said arms and engaging a guide element on the other arm, alatch lever pivoted upon the latter arm having a contact elementnormally engaging the pin to prevent movement of the latter relativelyto the guide element, and a counterweight on the latch lever tending tohold the latter in operative position.

16. A latch device for use in a dumping scale pan having a movableclosure comprising a lever pivoted at its central portion and having alatch lug near one end, a projection extending beyond the lug forengagement by an actuating element, and a counterweight at its otherend.

17. A dumping scale pan comprising movable bottom members and a pair ofswinging arms for controlling the movement thereof, said arms crossingand overlapping each other at their free extremities, a pin projectingfrom one of the arms through an elongate slot in the other, and a latchlever pivoted to the slotted arm, said latch lever having an arcuatecontact surface concentric with the axis of the latch lever normallyengaging the pin to prevent movement of the latter.

wardly, a pin projecting; from one member a' through an elongate slot inthe other, a latch lever pivoted to the slotted member and having a stoplug normally engaging the pin to hold the latter adjacent to the outerextremity out its slot, and a member adapted to be engaged by anactuating element for swinging the latch to release the pin.

l9. Latch meclianism for a dumping scale pan comprising a pair oi?angularly disposed levers normally crossing adjacent to their treeextremities, a pin projecting from one lever into an elongate slot inthe other, a latch lever pivotally mounted upon one lever and having apart normally engaging the pin thereby locking the levers againstpivotal movement, said latch lever being movable to release the pinthereby permitting it toniovc along the slot and as the levers con tinueto swing to move back again to its initial position, and a lugengageable by the tail of the latch lever to hold the latter out or"engagement with the pin when the latter occupies the last namedposition.

20. A scale pan comprising a movable closure and means for controllingits movements comprising a pair oi. levers pivoted to swing abouthorizontal axes lying in the same plane, said levers normally crossingat a point above said plane, a pin projecting from one lever into a slotin the other, a latch lever normally holding the pin at one end of theslot whereby to lock the levers against movement said latch beingmovable to release the pin thereby allowing it to move toward the otherend of the slot as the levers swing through the plane 01 their axes andto resume its position at the first end of the slot the levers swingbelow said plane, and a device engageable with the latch as the loversapproach the last named position to prevent reengagement of the latterwith the pin.

Signed by me at Boston, Mass, this 3d day of r/lay 1928.

JOSEPH l3. HO'WE.

